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2019 AG Elections
Republican Daniel Cameron and Democrat Greg Stumbo Secure Party Nominations for Kentucky Attorney General
- Daniel Cameron defeated state Senator Wil Schroeder to win the Republican nomination for Kentucky AG in the primary election.
- Democrat Greg Stumbo, who ran uncontested, secured his party’s nomination for AG.
- For more AG election news, insights, and polls, visit Cozen’s State AG Election Tracker.
2020 AG Elections
Republican Austin Knudsen Announces Candidacy for Montana Attorney General
- Austin Knudsen, a Republican, announced his candidacy for Montana AG in 2020.
- Knudsen serves as Roosevelt County Attorney, and previously served as Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives and worked as an attorney in private practice.
- As previously reported, Chief Deputy AG Jon Bennion is also seeking the Republican nomination for AG, and state Representative Kimberly Dudik and Raph Graybill, Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Steve Bullock, are seeking the Democratic nomination.
- Current AG Tim Fox, a Republican who is serving his second term, is term-limited and seeking the Republican nomination for Governor.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
25 Democratic Attorneys General Oppose CFPB Proposed Rule to Rescind Certain Provisions of Payday Lending Rule
- 25 Democratic AGs, led by New Jersey AG Gurbir Grewal and District of Columbia AG Karl Racine, submitted a comment to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) in response to the CFPB’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) that would rescind certain provisions of its 2017 Final Rule Governing Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans (“Final Rule”).
- In the comment, the AGs—who share enforcement authority with the CFPB under the Final Rule—urge the CFPB not to rescind certain provisions of its Final Rule, such as a provision that requires lenders to consider consumers’ ability to repay when underwriting loans, because the Final Rule was adopted to curb abuses in the payday and vehicle title lending industries and end the cycle of debt for consumers, and rescinding these provisions would eliminate protections and leave borrowers vulnerable to debt traps that the Final Rule was designed to eliminate.
- As previously reported, 25 Democratic AGs submitted a comment in opposition to the CFPB’s concurrent NPRM that would delay the compliance date of its Final Rule from the original deadline of August 19, 2019 to November 19, 2020.
CFPB Sues Debt-Collection Law Firm Over Allegedly Misrepresenting Attorney Involvement in Lawsuits
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against debt-collection law firm Forster & Garbus, LLP over allegations that it misrepresented attorney involvement in lawsuits in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Financial Protection Act.
- According to the complaint, Forster & Garbus allegedly filed debt collection lawsuits that bore the names and signatures of attorneys when, in fact, attorneys had not reviewed the merits of lawsuits, conducted factual inquiries, or prepared the pleadings; relied on non-attorney staff and automated processes to identify accounts for potential lawsuits; and designated only a few associate attorneys to review and sign tens of thousands of complaints, among other things.
- The complaint seeks injunctive relief, damages, restitution, disgorgement, civil penalties, and costs.
FTC Sues Telemarketing Companies Over Allegedly Deceptive Robocalls to Small Businesses
- The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) filed a lawsuit against telemarketing companies Pointbreak Media, LLC, DCP Marketing, LLC, Modern Spotlight LLC, Modern Spotlight Group LLC, Modern Source Media, LLC, Modern Internet Marketing LLC, Perfect Image Online LLC, and related individuals over allegations that they made deceptive robocalls to small businesses falsely threatening removal from and offering placement among internet search results in violation of the FTC Act.
- According to the complaint, the telemarketing companies allegedly made robocalls to small business owners falsely claiming, among other things, that they were authorized by Google to make the call, that the businesses must pay the telemarketing companies to “claim and verify” their businesses to avoid being removed from Google search results, and that paying the telemarketing companies to link certain keywords to the businesses’ listings would result in first-page placement in Google search results; and also made unauthorized withdrawals from the businesses’ accounts, among other things.
- The complaint seeks injunctive relief, rescission or reformation of contracts, restitution, disgorgement, and costs.
FTC Settles With Online Subscription Company Over Allegedly Misrepresenting Customer Reviews and Terms of Free Trials
- The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) reached a settlement with online subscription company UrthBox, Inc. and its principal (collectively, “UrthBox”) to resolve allegations that it misrepresented the independence of its customer reviews and terms of its free trials in violation of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act.
- According to the complaint, UrthBox allegedly offered customers store credit or free snack boxes in exchange for positive reviews—which customers did not disclose were not independent reviews—on the company’s Better Business Bureau profile, TrustPilot.com, and on customers’ personal social media accounts, and paid cash bonuses to its customer service representatives for inducing customers to post positive reviews. UrthBox also allegedly misrepresented that customers were receiving “free” snack boxes, when it actually was enrolling these customers in subscription plans.
- Under the terms of the decision and order, UrthBox must pay $100,000 to the FTC, cease misrepresenting the independence of customer reviews, disclose any connections between the company and its reviewers, remove reviews not in compliance with the terms, fully disclose the terms of its “free” snack box offers, obtain customers’ informed consent before obtaining payment, provide a simple mechanism for consumers to cancel subscriptions, and monitor compliance with the terms of the order.
North Carolina Attorney General Sues E-Cigarette Manufacturer Over Allegedly Advertising to Minors and Misrepresenting Product Risks
- North Carolina AG Josh Stein filed a lawsuit against e-cigarette manufacturer JUUL Labs, Inc. (“JUUL”) over allegations that it targeted advertising towards minors and misrepresented the risks of its products in violation of the state’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
- According to the complaint, JUUL allegedly designed the flavors, appearance, and chemical composition of its e-cigarette products to appeal to minors, marketed its products on social media platforms known to attract minors using youth-oriented “influencer” personalities, failed to adequately verify online purchasers’ ages, and misrepresented the nicotine strength and risks of addiction of its products.
- The complaint seeks injunctive relief, civil penalties, disgorgement, and attorney’s fees and costs.
- As previously reported, AG Stein initiated the investigation of JUUL in October 2018 and Massachusetts AG Maura Healey initiated an investigation of JUUL over similar concerns in July 2018.
Labor & Employment
Connecticut Attorney General Issues Formal Opinion on Proposed Labor Legislation
- Connecticut AG William Tong issued Formal Opinion 2019-03 analyzing whether two bills, one that would prohibit employers from keeping employees as a “captive audience” at employer-sponsored meetings if the primary purpose of the meeting is to communicate the employer’s opinion concerning the decision to join or support a labor organization, and another that would define the scope of protections of employees’ freedoms of speech and association, are preempted by the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”).
- In the Opinion, AG Tong wrote that the “captive audience” bill, S.B. 64, is preempted by the NLRA and therefore unconstitutional, based on Formal Opinion 2018-02, in which former AG George Jepsen concluded that substantively identical legislation was likely unconstitutional.
- AG Tong further wrote that the freedoms of speech and association bill, S.B. 440, is likely not preempted by the NLRA or unconstitutional because it provides a cause of action for employees who have suffered adverse employment actions as a result of exercising their rights, which makes it akin to the kind of generally applicable law aimed at protecting state employees’ rights that the U.S. Supreme Court has concluded states can enact.
State AGs in the News
Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear Wins Democratic Primary Election for Governor
- Kentucky AG Andy Beshear defeated three opponents to win the Democratic nomination for AG.
- AG Beshear will face Republican first-term incumbent Governor Matt Bevin in the general election on November 5, 2019.
State v. Federal
15 Democratic Attorneys General Oppose U.S. Department of Labor Proposed Rule to Rescind Overtime Protections for Workers
- 15 Democratic AGs, led by New York AG Letitia James and Pennsylvania AG Josh Shapiro, submitted a comment to the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) in response to the DOL’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) that would amend certain provisions of the 2016 Final Rule Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees (“Final Rule”).
- In the comment, the AGs argue that the NPRM—which would expand the Final Rule’s exemptions for certain executive, administrative, and professional (“EAP”) employees from the overtime protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”)—would contradict congressional intent under the FLSA to afford federal overtime protections for certain workers, harm workers in the AGs’ states, and violate the Administrative Procedure Act.
- The AGs urge DOL to refrain from further expanding the EAP exemption and to issue a final regulation that is at least as protective of workers as the Final Rule.


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Intel Makes Largest Takeover in Israel's History by Acquiring Mobileye, Autonomous Vehicle Technology Company
Back on July 01, 2016 Patently Apple posted a report covering the BMW, Intel and Mobileye press event announcing the BMW autonomous car for 2021. The big announcement was that the three companies would bring the new BMW autonomous vehicle to market based on a new open platform. It was made clear during the event that it was crucial to create a standard platform for others to join and participate in for this leap in vehicle technology to be a success. Standardization will expedite the regulatory process for such a platform to thrive. It was an interesting idea because it could be here where Apple's Titan Project could eventually play a role. Today news has broken out of Jerusalem that Intel has acquired Mobileye, making it the largest takeover in Israel's history and the largest purchase of a company solely focused on the self-driving sector.
The Times of Israel reports that "U.S. giant Intel Corp. said Monday that it has agreed to buy Mobileye, a Jerusalem-based developer of advanced vision and driver assistance systems, for $15.3 billion in a move the US chipmaker hopes will position it as a leading technology player in the fast-growing self-driving car market.
Mobileye develops the sensors and artificial intelligence that allow a vehicle's on-board computer to essentially know where it is in relation to other vehicles, pedestrians and the surroundings, the key technologies needed for cars to eventually safely drive themselves.
The deal, the largest ever purchase of an Israeli high-tech company, was hailed across Israel as a sign of the country's technological prowess.
Intel's CEO Brian Krzanich stated that "This acquisition is a great step forward for our shareholders, the automotive industry and consumers. Together, we can accelerate the future of autonomous driving with improved performance in a cloud-to-car solution at a lower cost for automakers."
'Congratulations to Mobileye! Israeli genius, Israeli pride,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted.
'Israel is a superpower in knowledge, technology and innovation,' said Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis." For more on this story, read the full Times of Israel article here.
It would appear that Apple would agree with that statement as well considering that they they've made several important acquisitions in Israel over the years to include PrimeSense, LinX and more recently RealFace.
Reuters added that "Mobileye accounts for 70 percent of the global market for driver-assistance and anti-collision systems. It employs 660 people and had adjusted net income of $173.3 million last year. Intel said it expected the transaction to close within the next nine months.
For a dozen years, Mobileye has relied on Franco-Italian chipmaker STMicroelectronics to produce chips that the Israeli company sells to many of the world's top automakers for its current, third-generation of driver-assistance systems.
Mobileye's relationships with automakers, leading suppliers and STMicroelectronics will continue uninterrupted, the companies said in their statement, and Mobileye's current product roadmap will not be affected.
But in the bigger picture, Intel has a giant competitor that must be acknowledged. According to Reuters, "Last October, Qualcomm announced a $47 billion deal to acquire the Netherlands' NXP, the largest automotive chip supplier, putting pressure on other chipmakers seeking to make inroads into the market for autonomous driving components, including Intel, Mobileye and rival NVIDIA.
The Qualcomm-NXP deal, which will create the industry's largest portfolio of sensors, networking and other elements vital to autonomous driving, is expected to close later in 2017, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals." Read more about this in Reuter's full report here.
While Intel may be second behind Qualcomm-NXP, Intel's business model of creating an open standard for the autonomous vehicle market may be the key to eventually winning the game.

domain: news


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The dynamism of web design ascertains that trends should keep varying to the better with changing times. The changes are usually due to improvements in previous designs to suit current tastes and preferences. Creativity thrives on a blend of several ideas to propose solutions and convey emotions, creative fields like fashion and graphic designs always find its way to web design and vice versa.
Social networking continues to be a superior force in marketing, especially Facebook. According to emarketer.com, Facebook earns 65.5 percent of all social network ad spending worldwide. That was $15.5 billion in 2015 alone. Costs for advertising on Facebook are increasing, due to high demand, and their profits continue to soar. How can your company best benefit from social networking ads in 2016? Here are a few trends that need to be taken account of and exploited to the best potential for future success.
500 Startups officially announced their Batch 15. Among them is one of our very own REACH NeXT alumni Mahmee! We were stoked when we partnered with 500 startup for REACH NeXT and now are over the moon that they selected one of our winners. Congrats to the Melissa Hanna and the rest of the Mahmee team!
With the 2015 holiday shopping season now upon us, it’s “go time” for retailers across the country — an opportunity to put their carefully crafted holiday plans into action and deliver on their bottom-line expectations. That includes e-commerce retailers, which continue to claim a growing slice of overall retail sales. Last year alone, online holiday sales rose 15% over 2013 figures, including increases of 32% on Thanksgiving, 26% on Black Friday, and 17% on Cyber Monday.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the cloud price wars have flared up once again. After taking a brief hiatus amidst nervous tensions, competition between cloud computing vendors has reached a fever pitch in the past month. The cloud price wars (sometimes known as the “Race to Zero”) aren’t exactly a new phenomenon. For years, cloud competitors have sought to outdo the others by continually slashing prices on their cloud services. Much of the fight has centered around cloud storage, with lower and lower prices seen with surprising regularity.
We did it folks! The 1st annual REACH NeXT event was a great success! Before we get to the winners I wanted to give a big thanks to Christen da Costa of GadgetReview and Co-founder of REACH. Also, another huge thanks to Gray Bright of The Tomorrow Show, Cauri Jaye, Chris Dover, Rebecca McLauchlan of rhubarb studios and Cameron Kashani! All the amazing that went down yesterday could not have happened without you :)
Live streaming apps are a burgeoning trend in the social media sphere, and as their popularity continues to grow, it is essential that businesses leverage these apps in order to engage a rapidly growing consumer audience with controlled content at their disposal. The early embrace of live streaming allows businesses to position themselves as ahead of the trend in emerging technologies and provide their stakeholders with compelling content.


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NASA is reportedly working on technology that could take us to the moon faster than a cross-country flight.
Got a tattoo on your wrist? You could find it difficult to get an Apple Watch to track your heart rate. It's all about the way the ink blocks light from built-in sensors.
TiVo has announced "limited-time" pricing for the Roamio OTA DVR of $300 with no monthly service fee. It's a great deal for cord-cutters as long as it lasts.
The Chinese-made taptic engine, which mimics the sensation of being tapped on the wrist, proved to be defective so Apple switched to a different supplier, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Netflix's recent deal in Australia and comments from its CFO suggested it was backtracking on its pro-neutrality stance.
Revenue in China helps boost the company to a record second quarter, but the iPad remains a weak spot for Apple.
Hosting stories on the social network -- and not just links to outside sites -- would cut page-load times for users, encouraging them to stay on Facebook. The benefit for publishers would be more money from ads, says The Wall Street Journal.
People may be curious about the Apple Watch, which got delivered to customers around the world on April 24. But when it comes to money, Apple's first wearable won't even be a blip in its financials.
Use this little stone-shaped charger to power your gadgets wirelessly. It's free, a price that's sure to rock your world.
From embracing a leather exterior to adding a flashy new camera, LG hopes to win customers away from its better-known competitors. An inside look at its factory in South Korea shows it's ramping up for a big launch.


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Ok Google, Siri, Cortana; these personal assistants have been helping us with our search queries, appointment scheduling, and navigation needs on a daily basis. But what if we wanted our smartphone’s personal assistants to be a little more personal?
Enter Ask Ooloo, a mobile assistant application that gets your questions answered by an actual person. Read more »
The Flappy Bird story is one that still leaves lots of mobile users scratching their heads: the insanely popular game was quickly removed from mobile App stores due to the developer’s personal issues.
If you didn’t get a chance to download the game before it was taken offline then have no fear, because you’ll be able to play a new version of the title on Amazon’s Fire TV. Read more »
Smartwatches aren’t really known for being sexy, although this trend is starting to be corrected by the likes of the Moto 360 and the OnePlus One Watch.
Well it looks like HP is entering the smartwatch game, with a smartwatch that classes is up above all current offerings. Read more »
The iPad Air is now $100 cheaper than usual if you buy one from Best Buy. The price cut takes the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi model to $399.99, which is the lowest amount you’ve ever needed to pay for it.
Granted, the iPad Air is bound to get a successor within the next two months or so, at least according to many recent rumors. But the iPad Air 2 won’t be a huge update compared to the currently available model, and this one is now more affordable than ever. Read more »
Are you a Windows Phone user who’s been jealous of all the BBM love iPhone and Android and owners have been receiving lately?
Well you’re in luck as the Canadian tech manufacturer has just released the BBM beta for Windows Phone. Read more »
Wikipedia is now available as a full-blown app on the Apple App Store, following its release on the Google Play Store more than a month ago.
Previously, Wikipedia relied on wrapping its mobile website in an app format, but now the largest online encyclopedia is available for the two most popular mobile operating systems as a native application. Read more »
The iPad Air 2 is coming this year, that much has been made obvious by the myriad of leaks about it. If you’re tired of seeing iPad Air 2 dummy units pictured and shown in videos, what about a couple of cases for the upcoming tablet?
Both the image above and the one that follows are said to be from a Chinese case manufacturer, which has already published them in anticipation of Apple’s next full size tablet. One thing that’s obvious in these pictures is that the next iPad Air will in fact have a Touch ID fingerprint scanner embedded in its Home button. Read more »
We talked about the Bolt service a few days back. The app is now officially available on iOS and Android, but only in New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa for now.
Bolt lets you have a group of close friends that you can instantly send photos or videos to. Just tap on their contact name and it takes a photo and sends it. You can press and hold on the contact name to send a video. Just like with Snapchat, the photos and videos are not sent and are removed from your device when you swipe them away. Read more »
Spooked that the NSA is snooping on your phone calls?
Then you might want to try out Signal, the app that encrypts your iPhone’s calls. Read more »
Microsoft has today released an update to its OneNote app for iOS (which is “optimized for the iPhone 5″). The new version brings with it many new features.
It now lets you insert files, password-protect sections, add PDF printouts, organize notebooks, use formatted text, as well as create notebooks and save them to OneDrive for Business. Read more »
According to TPK, the company that’s reportedly in charge of producing silver nanowire ink for Apple’s iWatch, the watch will enter mass production in the final four months of this year and not in the third quarter as previously expected.
TPK, which expected solid profit in Q3 because of the deal with Apple, has now reevaluated things with a higher Q4 profit expectation. The reason – TPK expected the Apple iWatch to enter mass production in the third quarter, not the fourth one. With this development doubts have risen as to whether Apple can build the quota of iWatches it needs to meet 2014 demand. Read more »
Facebook has been pushing its Messenger application pretty zealously, and there’s even been talks of the social networking giant monetizing the app.
Well it looks like Zuckerberg and company are making the installation of Facebook Messenger a mandatory affair for anyone who wants to communicate with their Facebook friends from their mobile device. Read more »
Starting next year Hilton will allow iPhone users to use their phones as hotel room keys. That means that you’ll be able to bypass the front desk of the hotel completely.
Currently as is iPhone users do have the Hilton app but upon walking into a hotel they’d still need to get a physical key with the app handling online check-in, reservations and such – Android users have the same deal going on but there’s no word on using your droid to unlock Hilton doors, although it should happen as well. Read more »
Microsoft has a new ad out and it pits Windows Phone 8.1′s virtual assistant Cortana against Apple’s own Siri in a fight to prove which is the best.
The assistants battle on the grounds of a Lumia 635 and iPhone 5s. Microsoft naturally picks its strong suits asking Cortana for things it knows it can do like set up a reminder for the next time a contact calls. Read more »
Apple will be acquiring the Swell Radio service, according to the sources at Recode. The deal is worth $30 million and the app will shut down this week as part of it.
Swell Radio is a news and podcast streaming service. It takes content from sources such as iTunes, NPR, ABC, ESPN, BBC, CBC, TED and more and turns them into personalized streaming radio playlists based on your listening preferences. Read more »


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Entries in 'tony hawk' (4)
Activision has no plans to release the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 SKUs of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 in the UK.
Five years on from its last proper console release, the Tony Hawk series will return next year.
Activision's recently teased Tony Hawk project is being developed specifically for mobile platforms, according to Hawk himself.
Tony Hawk is back. Well, he’s coming back, anyway, with talks between himself and Activision having been confirmed.


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So big, in fact, that its sales could nearly double.
An American Express survey predicts purses will loosen, while a government report says they'll likely stay shut tight.
Yes, shoppers use their smartphones to make purchases everywhere from their car to meetings to the bathroom.
New research compares customer acquisition and retention to dating.
With the holiday shopping season starting earlier this year, retailers have their work cut out for them.
Santa's not the only one making holiday lists for young folks. Accenture is, too, and here's its handicapping of millennial shopping for Thanksgiving and the day after.
Forget Halloween. Marketers are already gearing up for the winter holiday season.
The calendar etailer launched new technology two weeks before Black Friday to drive insights from its online data.
Consumers' hunger for shopping grows from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, but their mobile appetite dwindles.
Some quick info hits to keep you up-to-date, including the percentage of shoppers who don't expect to receive a reminder email after they abandon a shopping cart.
Which gender is more reliant on their smartphone for holiday shopping? It depends.
Amazon may seem like a powerful Grinch, but multichannel marketing makes competing a cinch!
But a shorter shopping season could trim $1.5 billion from holiday sales totals, says the company's annual sales forecast.
Marketers and retailers may need to up their games this holiday season. Government financial woes caused a plunge in consumer confidence in October.
Marketers may just get the holiday gift they want most: increased sales.
'Webrooming'—browsing online and buying in-store—will overtake showrooming this year, says an Accenture survey.
Focusing on the heart of your selling engine—the online store—will go a long way toward making this a highly profitable year.
What etailers can learn from 2012 to cash in, profitably, on the sure-to-be hyper-competitive 2013 holiday season.
Holiday wishes to all, and to all a bountiful 2013
Company of the week
Data Services, Inc. meets the needs of today's data-driven marketer by providing front-end database management and data analytics platforms alongside our expertise in global contact data quality, database building and ongoing maintenance that comes with our 45+ years in business.


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The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) recently launched a month-long marketing campaign to promote British dairy products in Hong Kong. Three professional chefs from the region, including Saito Chau of Chineseology, Tiff Lo of Jean May, and Adam Catterall of Roganic, will be preparing dishes featuring British dairy throughout the campaign.
The campaign, which commenced on March 1st, 2024, will continue until the end of the month. Each chef will showcase the quality, variety, and versatility of British dairy by creating cheese, beef, and pork dishes at their respective restaurants.
The goal of this initiative is to introduce consumers in Hong Kong to the premium dairy products available from the UK. Lucy Randolph, AHDB’s head of international trade development for dairy, highlighted the significance of the Hong Kong market as an important importer of dairy products. She emphasized the opportunities it presents for UK dairy in both the foodservice sector and high-end retail establishments.
“We are excited to elevate the profile of our high-quality dairy products among consumers in Hong Kong,” said Randolph. “Having three of the region’s top chefs create dishes that showcase the best of what the UK has to offer is truly a testament to the excellence of British dairy.”
By collaborating with these renowned chefs, AHDB aims to increase awareness and appreciation for British dairy in the Hong Kong market. The campaign is a strategic move to position UK dairy products as a premium choice for consumers seeking quality and flavor in their culinary experiences.


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Masquespacio and Houtique have launched a range of vintage inspired products, including new versions of previous collaborations the Wink lamp and Arco chair, to celebrate their newly announced long-term co-partnership.
The two Spanish companies have joined forces with a mission to create a “sexy, lux and fun” brand that breaks with traditional market rules. “We see a lot of new brands appearing on the market with interesting proposals, although we feel that they lose their innovative approach when they establish themselves,” says Christophe Penasse, Head of Communications at Masquespacio. “With Houtique we want to change the world a little bit and not be obsessed about being commercially attractive.”
Inspired by Masquespacio designer Ana Hernández ’s belief that observation is one of the key factors to create and develop innovative designs, the ‘Wink’ pendant light resembles an eye winking. Available as both standing and wall lamps, these elegant, post-modernist style lights feature colourful and fun fabric fringes.
Also featuring colourful fringing is the Mambo chair, which represents Masquespacio and Houtique’s desire to “bring the past to the future, reinventing traditional ideas” with its retro yet modern feel, and the bright and vibrant, dance inspired Chachachá poufs.
A new version of the 1970s inspired Arco chair features a tubular structured arch (hence its Spanish name, which translates to ‘arch’), with a luxury finish, using gold paint and velvet upholstery.
“We wanted to get out of our comfort zone, saying goodbye to stereotypes and to the conventionalism. HOUTIQUE is the word that welcomes fun, to the predilection for an uninhibited design with a seductive character,” says Andrés Gramage, founder of Houtique.
Find out more about the range at Masquespacio.com.


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The iPhone 5 Comes Out Next Week! Here Are Our 5 Favorite Cases
After a long wait, Apple is finally set to announce the fifth version of its most popular mobile device on Wednesday, September 12, according to the International Business Times, with the new model expected to hit stores on September 21, according to CNN. Rumors have been flying about what cool features the phone might have, or what it will look like (predictions suggest thinner, lighter, and taller). But we’re busy planning how we'll dress up our new toy. Accessories editor Violet Gaynor picks her five favorite iPhone covers—and they’re all under $100. Click through the gallery below to see the list of super-chic ways to keep your beloved iPhone ding-free!


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Indonesia floats joke of Oz wine requiring halal certification
Rendi A. Witular
The Jakarta Post
Trade Minister Enggartiasto "Enggar" Lukita has floated an idea of requiring Australian wine sold in Indonesia to pass halal certification and use plain packaging in retaliation for the neighboring country "undermining" the selling of Indonesian tobacco and paper.
Enggar said he recently had voiced his resentment to Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo after Australia mandated in 2012 that cigarettes sold in the country must use plain packaging and levied anti-dumping duties on imported A4 paper from Indonesia in April.
"We facilitate imports of Australian beef. But I am devastated by the barriers slapped on our tobacco and A4 paper," said Enggar at a gathering late on Thursday.
"I told Steve that I would consider requiring Australian wine sold in Indonesia to also have plain packaging and pass halal certification, but I deliver it in a light way though, and it was just an expression of my resentment," he said.
Indonesia and other tobacco-producing countries, such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Honduras, filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Australia for what they consider illegal trade barriers by mandating plain packaging.(tas)
- Lake Toba to hold Gowes Samosir cycling event
- Celebrity Fitri Carlina endorses Wonderful Indonesia, Banyuwangi tourism
- Karetan Market partners with waste management startup company
- Block porn or be blocked, Indonesia warns Google, Twitter
- Facebook launches new ‘Facebook Creator’ app for video content creators
- Tourism Ministry, KBRI promote five Indonesian destinations in Thailand
- West Papua to host Senja Kaimana Festival 2017
- Saung Angklung Udjo holds seventh Angklung Pride in Bandung
- Karetan Market holds vlog competition for visitors
- East Java to host Situbondo Carnival


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Innovation and commercial nouse have carved the Cambridge-based manufacturer a niche in a tough marketplace, and a Queen’s Award in April recognised the company’s development in world class technology. Rowell, with new finance director and company secretary Tony Rouse, picked up the innovation award for its Advance system of instruments designed to rapidly detect microbe-level contamination of cosmetics, toiletries and household detergents. The award has come within a year of the group, which floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1993, reporting its first profits. This development sparked Rowell last November to reveal plans for a 20% growth over the next three years. Healthy annual results from Celsis are again expected this week. Last year single-shot disposable hygiene testing kit called SpotCheck broke on to the market as the company reported a pre-tax profits boost from #300,000 to #1.1m. Strong growth was also recognised in 1999 when the company was named the UK’s fastest growing industrial biotechnology company in a Deloitte & Touche national technology fast 50 survey. Chartered accountant Rouse joined Celsis this January from Pilgrim Food Group and replaced Mark Harris, who is now working for a shipping business in Hong Kong. Rowell, who is also a qualified chartered accountant, took up his chief executive position at Celsis in 1998 after taking a four-year back seat stint as group chairman while he wrestled with the needs of English rugby union.
Andrew Tyrie airs views on the Finance Bill, 'Making Tax Policy Better' report, and Brexit
In our latest managing partner Q&A looking towards 2017, CVR Global's Richard Toone talks about recruitment, and the potential threat of competition from the legal sector, as key issues for the firm in the coming year
Deloitte to avoid tendering for government contracts over the next six months, to appease Theresa May following consultant's report that painted a less-than-flattering picture of Brexit plans
In our first Q&A looking towards 2017, Menzies senior partner Julie Adams flags up increasing digitisation, aligned with more hands-on consultative services, as the key mix for her practice


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Game Career Becomes the First Choice for New Graduates in China [Reports]
by Mantin Lu
Reading a few reports and articles about new graduates in China entering the gaming industry, I noticed the preference of different positions in game career is different between US and China.
MyCOS (China Occupational Skills) published Chinese College Graduates’ Employment Annual Report (1), which drew a lot of attention from the undergraduate students who were not familiar with gaming industry, in June 2015. Compared to the Video Game Jobs Salary Report (Game Industry Career Guide) indicating that Game Programmer is a more competitive money-maker position among different production functions in US (2), the statistics in the MyCOS report reveals that in China, however, Game Designer job ranks highest in salary of the employed 2014 graduates.
Later in August 2015, UIGAC (United Institute of Game Appreciation Club) released another student survey result regarding the China gaming industry (3). In this report, approximately 40% of the survey takers majored in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Art, or Animation (Graph 1); 53% of the survey takers once joined gaming-related clubs (Graph 2).
Graph 1: Majors of the Graduates (Source: UIGAC)
Graph 2: Graduates Joined Gaming-Related Clubs (Source: UIGAC)
The report reveals remarkable facts that more than 60% of the students who were interested in the gaming industry would actively seek for the opportunity to engage with the game companies. The members in those gaming-related clubs believed that the interaction and cooperation with game companies would promote the development of the club and members. Part of the remaining 40% of the student did not inquire the game companies actively due to the lack of access.
The main fact that drew the students back from entering the gaming industry is that more than 70% of the students actually didn’t even try to apply for a job in the industry as they don’t feel like they are qualified with adequate skill and knowledge for the jobs (Graph 3). In fact, their self-doubt might not be true. Since another obstacle is the lack of open access to the information regarding the gaming industry and game career (3), the students cannot accurately evaluate their knowledge and skills to judge their qualification. As a matter of fact, some entry-level game development jobs has relatively low entry requirements based on my experiences.
Graph 3: Obstacle Stops Graduates Joining the Game Career (Source: UIGAC)
Studying the survey result, UIGAC pointed out that most of the students had only superficial knowledge of the gaming industry. While they generally believe it is the most promising industry, they actually have no idea what working in the gaming industry is about. As for the game career, the survey takers believed that “passion is everything.” In a word, the majority of the graduates held a positive attitude towards the gaming industry, and expecting a free and diversified environment in the work place.
So far, all those are good news to the gaming industry in China. As we all known that the gaming industry in China is blooming in terms of both revenue and user base. The 2015 revenue of China gaming industry reached more than 20 billion, and the population of gamer in China expanded to 534 million (4). It is time to bring more people into the China gaming industry for creating awesome products to the growing gamers population. While it’s good to attract more fresh graduates, we should improve the quality of those wanted to join us. Game companies should try to touch base with those institutions to start up some light activities, such as hobby projects, for students who are interested for the industry. Also seminars or career talk held by the companies would be helpful to provide the potential candidates with transparent information about the industry. This can eliminate those new entries only feel like working in the gaming industry is a cool thing or a trendy thing but not really engaged to what it really means to be a game developer.
Back to the topic of high salary of Game Designer, undergraduate students might all try to work their way to get into that sexy and highest salary Game Designer positions after reading the report published by MyCOS. However, UIGAC studied approximately 1,000 opening positions from 78 China game companies in 2015 December reveals that design-related position occupies only 9% of the total openings while technical-related positions, such as programmer and engineer, dominating the game career fair with 36% (5)(Graph 4).
Graph 4: China Game Companies Opening Positions in 2016 (Source: UIGAC)
If you want to get into the gaming industry without a strong preference of what function you would like to get into, I would say instead of becoming a Game Designer, a Game Programmer is a better bet. According to the Video Game Developer Salary Survey 2015, Game Programmers have, on average, the highest salaries of any development job in the game industry (Game Industry Career Guide).
Combined with the most recent Video Game Jobs Salary Report, it is obvious that the technical jobs have highest potential in the gaming industry. Technical jobs, in the long term, build a stable and flexible career since the demand for technical talents exists all over the world.（source：Gamasutra）


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On Monday night, fashion folks and celebrities gathered at the Brooklyn Museum for the annual CFDA Awards, where they honored the American designers who are shaping the industry as we know it today (and also walked the red carpet in an array of dazzling fashions, of course). But no awards show is complete without a full evening of after-partying, and for that, plenty of people made their way to the Top of The Standard in Manhattan's Meatpacking district. (Don't worry, they were still wearing an array of dazzling fashions.)
Models, designers and celebrities — like ASAP Ferg, Pyer Moss designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, model Geena Rocero, Jennifer Fisher and more — lived it up in pastel leather, metallic jewel tones, grand ball gowns and shimmery sheath dresses.
In the gallery below, we've rounded up a handful of after-party looks — click through to see how the party crowd continued the fashion-filled celebrations.


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Miami – (January 15, 2010 ) – Royal Caribbean Cruises, one of Haiti's largest foreign investors for almost 30 years, today announced its plans to provide at least $1 million in humanitarian relief to Haiti in response to the catastrophic earthquake in Port-Au-Prince. Royal Caribbean will be partnering with charitable organizations – such as Food for the Poor, Pan American Development Foundation, and the Solano Foundation, the company's foundation in Haiti – to provide additional assistance to the people of Haiti. Royal Caribbean will also be delivering much needed goods and supplies to Haiti via their cruise ships.
"The effect of the earthquake on Haiti has been catastrophic, leaving the country in need of not only immediate support, but assistance in their long-term recovery," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive officer, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "Royal Caribbean wants to do its part to help out not only the general response, but also our hundreds of Haitian employees and their families through this disaster."
"In addition to our financial contribution, Royal Caribbean will continue to provide economic support through the continuous business we bring to Labadee," Fain added.
Leslie Voltaire, Special Envoy of the government of Haiti to the United Nations said, "Given the terrible economic and social challenges we now face in Haiti, we welcome the continuation of the positive economic benefits that the cruise ship calls to Labadee contribute to our country."
The benefits start with Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas' call today to Labadee, Haiti, which includes much needed supplies for the country.
The supplies were loaded on the ship during its call in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and include items such as rice, dried beans, powdered milk, water and canned goods. In addition, 100 percent of the company's net revenue from the destination will be contributed to the relief effort.
In the next two weeks, the following ships are scheduled to call on Labadee with additional supplies: Navigator of the Seas on Monday, January 18; Liberty of the Seas on Tuesday, January 19; and Celebrity Solstice on Friday, January 22. When the supplies arrive in Labadee, they will be transported to an offsite location to be distributed by Food for the Poor, a long time partner of Royal Caribbean in Haiti.
In addition to working with Food for the Poor to distribute relief supplies, guests sailing onboard Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises will be able to make a donation to Food for the Poor's Haiti Relief Fund, via a charge to their onboard account. Guests who would like to contribute immediately can visit Food for the Poor website to make a donation. Royal Caribbean also plans to use a portion of the $1 million donation to augment the company's Crew Relief Fund, which can be drawn on by any of the company's more than 200 Haitian crew members for assistance, as well as to match employee contributions to the partner organizations.
As the initial response effort gives way to the long-term recovery effort, Royal Caribbean will consider further support efforts.


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ANCHORAGE - A Haines birch syrup company, started from scratch when a local sawmill shut down, will be moving into international markets soon, with a boost from Slow Food USA.
"We should be on their list this month," said Susan Humphrey of Birch Boy Gourmet Birch Syrups. "It's a huge thing to be listed there."
Humphrey said Slow Food USA - an educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating food traditions of North America - is the latest gourmet connection for Birch Boy, whose customers include chef Wolfgang Puck.
"My goal when I started this business was to at least get recognized nationally," said Humphrey, who started the business with her husband, Daniel, when he lost his job at the Chilkoot Lumber Mill in Haines.
That was a dozen years ago. Today the Humphreys do a brisk business in a variety of birch and fruit syrups in retail markets and also via their Web site.
"This is the first year our retail mail order equaled the wholesale," Humphrey said. "For the past 12 years, we have done primarily wholesale to gift shops."
Birch Boy products are carried by most of the shops in Haines, a few shops in Juneau and a few in the Anchorage area, including Nonessentials, a gourmet boutique in downtown Palmer. They are also available at Saturday Market in Anchorage.
Internet orders come mostly from California and the northeastern United States, including New York, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont and New Jersey, she said. "They are people just randomly searching, or they saw us when we were featured on the Food Network last April."
The best part of the business is being able to make something from nothing, Humphrey said. "When we started this business, there was nothing really like it at the time. Birch syrup was a new thing. It has been exciting to see it grow into a recognized industry. People down South know about it now."
The Humphreys are members of the Alaska Birch Syrup Makers Association, which meets twice annually, usually by teleconference. The association also has a booth at the Alaska State Fair, to promote members' products.
Humphrey said their best sellers are Birch Boy Birch Syrup, Alaskan Wild Blueberry Syrup, Alaskan Highbush Cranberry Syrup and Russian American Cherry Syrup. Other varieties - 20 in all - include salmonberry, crab apple, red currant, strawberry, elderberry, rhubarb, and strawberry-rhubarb.
What makes Birch Boy different than some other birch syrup products produced in Alaska is it takes 150 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of pure Birch Boy syrup, because of the trees they work with, Humphrey said.
"At this point, our fruit syrup sales definitely equal birch syrup sales," Humphrey said. This is good because while Birch Boy has enough products in stock, the family took a break from harvesting birch sap this spring.
"Our weather was not good," she said. "We also felt our trees probably needed a break. We had a drought last summer and an insect infestation, which caused the trees to turn brown. They look pretty good this year, but we found that was a stressful thing, and we didn't want the trees to be stressed."
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Ford Fusion named Green Car of the Year
The greenest car of the year is also the latest version of one of the best sellers in the U.S.: the 2013 Ford Fusion.
The redesigned midsize car was named Green Car of the Year today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The new version of the Fusion — a regular on the list of Top 10 selling vehicles in the U.S. — was named on the basis of the fuel efficiency of its long list of powertrain options, including a hybrid and plug-in hybrid electrified models, as well as its gas-saving turbocharged 1.6- and 2.0-liter small (for a midsize car) gasoline engine models.
But sales popularity also was one of the factors that pushed it to the win, said Ron Cogan, publisher of the Green Car Journal which created the annual award that is presented at the L.A. show. That's because it will have more impact on energy and oil use than a "greener," but niche vehicle.
"It will make a big impact," he said at the awards ceremony.
The other finalists for the award were the Dodge Dart's high-mileage Aero model, the Ford C-Max hybrid and plug-in hybrid vans, Mazda CX-5 SUV with Skyactiv technology and the new Toyota Prius C subcompact hybrid.


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IDC, one of the world’s top industry analysis firms, has begun to work on figuring out what types of tablet computers are regular PCs or devices. This data is used to help with making it easier for companies to be able to market themselves in different ways. This is something that will end up being convenient for all people who are interested in looking into tablet PCs or devices.
IDC has found that a tablet PC would be a portable device that uses an x86 processor. This is a type of computer processor that has been in used for a variety of different computers for decades. The operating system on this type of device would also be something that is just like what one would use on a normal computer.
A tablet device, on the other hand, will feature an ARM-type processor. It will also include its own specific type of operating system. It can work as a mobile equivalent to another more popular type of operating system. However, it will be used primarily as a system that would not be found on a traditional type of computer.
IDC’s analysis has found that the Apple iPad and the HP Slate are tablet devices. This comes particularly from how these will work with unique operating systems. The iPad features a unique operating system that is exclusive to the device. The Slate will feature a WebOS operating system that was created for mobile devices by Palm.
Another device would be the upcoming Research in Motion tablet device that will feature a BlackBerry operating system. Dell’s upcoming product that uses the Android mobile system will be considered as a tablet device as well.
The Kindle from Amazon is not considered by IDC to be a tablet PC or device. The attempts by Microsoft to get a mobile version of Windows prepared have not been put into consideration either. Microsoft is expected to release a mobile version of Windows 7 in the near future.
The main concern about the tablet PC and tablet device debate comes from how different businesses are being impacted by it. For instance, people have stated that they are interested in mobile tablet items. However, not all people are willing to pay a great deal of money for one of these items. They may be willing to handle only a few hundred dollars for a device. This is important because of how tablet devices can cost more than five hundred dollars each in most cases.
There is also concern about how a tablet device will not work with as many features as that of a tablet PC. For instance, the iPad is not able to work with multitasking like a regular PC can.
It is expected that an increase in competition in the market will help to get prices down. However, the debate over what is a tablet PC and what is a tablet device could cause businesses to work with different development and marketing practices. This could make a substantial impact on the tablet computer market in the future.


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The Friday Five: Walmart's secret weapon
Brookfield’s Bet on Malls Looks Riskier than Ever [Wall Street Journal]
Brookfield Asset Management Inc.’s wager on bricks-and-mortar retail over warehousing isn’t paying off. The Canadian investment firm went against conventional wisdom last year when it took control of real-estate investment trust GGP in a deal valued at $15 billion that brought Brookfield 125 properties, most of them shopping malls. The deal ran counter to the growing move by investors toward logistics, including Brookfield rival Blackstone Group Inc.’s decision to throw its lot in with warehousing by buying up big portfolios of distribution sites used for e-commerce. Vince Tibone of Green Street Advisors LLC says investors can justify paying up for warehouses because the growth of e-commerce makes them a safer investment. Things have gotten worse for physical retailers, however, and other institutions have rejected Brookfield’s latest attempts to draw new investment into the struggling mall business.
Walmart’s Secret Weapon to Fight Off Amazon: The Supercenter [Wall Street Journal]
Walmart Inc. thinks it has a bricks-and-mortar response to Amazon.com online juggernaut. The retailer is renewing its focus on its sprawling supercenter stores as competitive advantages as it builds a blended physical and digital strategy around the sites that spread out over some 180,000 square feet. Data would bind the two sales channels together, and help build “edge computing” capacity, in which data is processed close to where it is being collected, a faster system than sending data to the cloud. The idea is to use the technology to add warehouse and shipping capacity that could also be sold to third-party merchants that sell on Walmart.com, allowing Walmart to collect fees for processing and shipping. Online orders could increasingly be fulfilled by traditional stores, leveraging a physical operation in which Amazon lags behind its storefront competitors.
China to lower tariffs on hundreds of products Jan. 1 [Supply Chain Dive]
China will lower tariffs on imports of more than 850 products from all trading partners including the U.S. as of Jan. 1, according to a release from the country's Ministry of Finance Monday. Chinese trade authorities will lower tariffs on imported frozen pork, frozen avocados, non-frozen orange juice, wood and paper products and some components for high-tech electronics. Tariffs will be zeroed out on some pharmaceutical products related to asthma and diabetes "to reduce medication costs and promote the production of new medicines. China has pledged to increase imports from the U.S. by more than $200 billion over the next two years — $40 billion annually in agricultural products — according to multiple media reports. This move by China lifts tariffs on some of the most valuable imports to China and likely instills some relief in U.S.-based agricultural supply chains for whom China is traditionally a major customer.
Amazon Is Its Own Biggest Mailman, Shipping 3.5 Billion Parcels [SupplyChainBrain]
Amazon was on pace to deliver 3.5 billion of its own packages to customers this year. That exceeded some analyst estimates. Morgan Stanley earlier this month estimated that Amazon shipped some 2.5 billion of its own packages a year. Amazon has stocked its warehouses for decades, but once relied exclusively on the likes of UPS and FedEx to take packages from those facilities to a customer’s doorstep — the so-called last mile. The Seattle company began to expand its capacity to move packages on its own following a disastrous 2013 holiday season, when rough weather and logistical bottlenecks led to missed deliveries and angry shoppers. Amazon now contracts with more than 800 delivery service partners, who employ a combined 75,000 drivers in the U.S. They take packages from some 150 delivery stations located in major U.S. metropolitan areas.
Fastest retailers fulfill orders in fewer than 2 days [Supply Chain Dive]
Top retailers fulfill orders in an average of 1.8 days, according to a test of 137 retailers on Cyber Monday by Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy. The firm measured shipping speed, order accuracy and delivery costs. The average time for the top 10 retailers — which included CVS, Office Depot, Amazon (through its Prime subscription), Best Buy and Cabelas — improved 18% over last year, from 2 to 1.7 days. Sixty-four percent of retailers delivered an entire order within one week, compared to 63% in 2018 and just 50% in 2017. When evaluating buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) orders on Black Friday, 88% were processed on time, compared to 72% in 2018. Additionally, a survey of more than 1,500 U.S. consumers found that online shoppers are willing to wait an average of 3.1 days for an online order, versus last year's average of 3.9 days.
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to check out last week’s news and stay tuned for our next Friday Five roundup!
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RIYADH: Purple clothes and undies are displayed in Saudi shopfronts, however the an increasing number of common Valentine´s Day promotions are lacking something: the competition´s identify.
Whilst gross sales surge and Valentine´s items grow to be extra commonplace some of the younger Saudi inhabitants, the phrase “Valentine´s” is nowhere to be noticed.
“Control has requested us to brighten the window show with pink underwear… however with out bringing up any place Valentine´s Day,” mentioned one shop clerk at a Riyadh mall, who didn’t need to be named as she used to be now not approved to talk to media.
The shows constitute exchange in Saudi Arabia, the place stick-toting non secular police as soon as cracked down on gross sales of Valentine´s Day paraphernalia or even on other people dressed in pink throughout the February 14 competition.
Valentine´s Day has obscure origins courting again to Roman occasions, when a number of Christian martyrs have been named Valentine. The birthday celebration for fans, marked broadly around the globe, used to be firmly off-limits within the ultraconservative kingdom which might most effective mark Muslim vacations and its September nationwide day.
However Saudi Arabia has been present process social exchange because it makes an attempt to give a extra interesting symbol and diversify its oil-dependent financial system.
It has curbed the scary non secular police and given girls extra freedoms. Amongst those, they now have the precise to force, and will upload color to their get dressed past the normal simple black abaya gown. Those adjustments, alternatively, have come along a crackdown on dissent which has noticed clerics and girls´s rights activists detained.
– A jarring website online –
“We will now put pink garments on view with ease or even put them at the window show,” mentioned a saleswoman at Grenada Mall in east Riyadh, who additionally spoke anonymously.
“There are lots of shoppers asking for pink underwear throughout Valentine´s Day,” she added. “We’ve got reductions throughout this time, however we don´t name them Valentine´s Day provides.”
No longer everyone seems to be ok with the undies being on display, discovering it a jarring sight after a long time when such pieces have been stored strictly at the back of closed doorways.
“I don´t need to see these items,” mentioned one lady, totally veiled in black with the exception of for her eyes. She didn’t need to give her identify.
“They hassle me, however there are individuals who adore it and that is their freedom of selection.”
Instances are converting, regardless that, and plenty of in Saudi Arabia — the place greater than part the inhabitants is underneath the age of 35 — are embracing Valentine´s Day, whether or not they name it that or now not.
“Folks didn’t have fun Valentine´s Day, however now many Saudis do,” mentioned Khuloud, 36, a Saudi saleswoman who didn’t need to give her closing identify.
“There’s a massive call for on garments throughout this time, and shoppers are ceaselessly soliciting for the color pink and earnings have additionally been massive.”
The saleswomen mentioned pink underwear is maximum in call for throughout Valentine’s Day duration.
Retail outlets additionally introduced reductions on fragrance and make-up, whilst present retail outlets put pink hearts of their home windows, additionally with out bringing up Valentine´s.
One consumer, Reem al-Qahtani, 22, mentioned Saudi society is “progressively” beginning to settle for Valentine´s Day, even supposing it stays anonymous for now.
“Presently, we have fun quietly in cafes and eating places, however we are hoping that it features traction within the coming years,” she mentioned.


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WASHINGTON -D.C. – In response to news high-end luxury fashion brand Burberry featured a hoodie featuring a noose around the collar as part of its autumn/winter collection, Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement:
“It is astounding to see Burberry showcase and profit from conduct that dehumanizes African Americans and makes light of our nation’s dark history of lynchings. From 1882 to 1968, there are 4,743 recorded lynchings that have occurred in the United States and the majority of victims were black. At a time when we are witnessing a spike in racial violence and hate crimes both here and abroad, it is irresponsible and reckless for Burberry to make light of this dark period of history. Normalizing racism is dangerous and corporations like Burberry that seek to profit off of racist symbols must be condemned.”
Clarke continued, “Burberry joins a long and growing list of corporate actors such as Gucci, Prada and Katy Perry that appear to be profiting off of racism. One can only wonder whether this pattern of corporate racism is part of an intentional ploy by companies seeking to create controversy and public outrage as a part of their overall marketing strategy.”
Learn more at Lawyerscommittee.org.


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FUND TO BOOST BEER INDUSTRY
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) will create a R1bn fund to provide financial support to the local beer industry, notably to help new farms produce raw materials like hops and barley, as part of its proposed $105bn takeover of SABMiller, Bloomberg reported. The deal with the South African government also includes a commitment that there will be no involuntary job losses in SA as a result of the transaction at any point in the future,
said. AB InBev will maintain its total permanent employee levels in SA for five years, it said. The deal is expected to streamline approval from the Competition Commission, which has to make a decision by 5 May.


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“The Singapore-based team has since grown to 80 staff members in less than two years,” says Twitter’s Aliza Knox.
Twitter’s livestreaming app is coming to Android, becoming accessible to millions of phones across Asia.
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What are the characteristics of a platform, how do you build it, and how does it succeed? Author and Platform Thinking Labs founder Sangeet Paul Choudary shares...
Tokyo-based live-streaming service Twitcasting, launched in 2010, just broke 10 million users - without any love from Silicon Valley.
Quote Tweet might make Twitter's bite-sized info bits a little chunkier.
Twitter’s office in Jakarta is now officially opened. CEO Dick Costolo and country head Rick Mulia shed light onto the strategy behind Twitter’s move.
Indonesia loves social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. But protectionist demands for more regulation are becoming louder. Where will this end?
The social network will wave to the mainland from its perch in the fragrant harbour.
After months of testing the waters and operating in Indonesia, Twitter has finally opened its doors in Jakarta, the social media capital of the world.
BuzzFeed VP Scott Lamb explains there’s more to making content go viral than one-liners, listicles, and hyperbolic headlines.
Twitter is set to open an R&D facility in India, the company confirmed today. This is not really a surprise, since it comes weeks after Twitter acquired local s...
The pontiff, considered one of the world’s most tech-savvy leaders, ignited a social media frenzy in the Philippines.
These 15 twitterers from India share the most useful tech info, like links, news, tips, and inside information.
“Twitter’s primary objective in India and emerging markets is growth,” says Jaitly. And now it has a weapon that will help a lot.
Twitter confirmed today that it has acquired Zipdial, an Indian startup that has made a business out of something really unusual – missed calls.
Customer care software maker Freshdesk tracked the top 100 global brands for a week and found they responded to just 22 percent of the tweets directed at them.
If you’re having a hard time managing your product posts on social media, replying to each and every customer inquiry, PocketMarket may be your best tool.
As the world of mobile payments integrates with social media, the lines between communication and commerce will continue to blur.
Runner up to the most retweeted tweet of 2014 comes from Indonesia.
Twitter has about 20 million active users in Indonesia from its global total of nearly a quarter of a billion. Mulia says Twitter is in Indonesia for its huge p...
In general, Indonesians are pretty proud of their social media usage. Perhaps Jakarta’s congested rush hour traffic gives locals more time to play with their sm...
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According to Twitter, Hong Kong's protests have so far generated over 1.3 million tweets from participants, eyewitnesses, and supporters from around the globe.
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Wanna get chummy with the best and brightest in Asia's tech world? Follow these accounts on twitter.
Entrepreneurs often want to help the journalists on their beat, but don’t know what to do. Here’s how.


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Formula shortage impacts Grand Island nonprofit
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - The baby formula shortage is suspected to have begun during the early months of the pandemic in 2020, then a recall of several brands of baby formula created the shortage parents and nonprofits are dealing with today.
The recall was prompted by the discovery of a harmful form of bacteria at the facility that manufactures that baby formula.
But some may remember when COVID first hit, how sales of some items skyrocketed. One of those items was baby formula.
Then in 2021, the demand was lower, so companies produced less, and that, along with the recall, contributed to the shortage.
That shortage hasn’t been a welcomed sight for Grand Island nonprofit Hope Harbor.
“We usually get donations from people who are no longer needing the formula, so that we can go in turn and give it away and we just haven’t been able to do that lately,” Hope Harbor service coordinator Peachis Amadou said. “I mean I am worried about it, I am worried about the babies out there that are needing the formula.”
Even if Hope Harbor gets the needed donations, Amadou told Local4 News she is not sure they can help families who need specific types of formula.
“The formula that we do have is not the formula that we are able to give out, most people are needing the Enfamil with the yellow can a lot of babies are needing special formula and we don’t have that special. I wish that there was a way we could help them more,” Amadou said.
Amadou encourages people to donate formula to Hope Harbor by bringing it to their office in Grand Island at 615 West 1st Street.
Copyright 2022 KSNB. All rights reserved.


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Bakery Franchise News
The latest Bakery franchise news.
After a year that impacted the world like no other, 7-Eleven, Inc. is hungry to help and is asking customers to join in.
February 26th, 2021
Los Angeles Icon Randy’s Donuts, the most recognized and acclaimed donut store in the world, is rolling into Las Vegas in a big way.
February 19th, 2021
Kolache Factory is preparing to give away thousands of free kolaches to its legions of loyal fans on March 1, affectionately known as National Kolache Day.
February 18th, 2021
Sweet Paris Baybrook Celebrates Official Grand Reopening and One Year Anniversary in Friendswood, TX
Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café opened a new location in Friendswood’s Baybrook Mall in mid-March 2020 - then COVID stalled the store’s official Grand Opening celebrations.
February 17th, 2021
The new 7-Eleven, Inc. ultimate gamer's cups are extreme. Extremely cool, extremely collectible … and they could be extremely lucky.
February 10th, 2021
Cinnaholic announced today that it has been named to Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500® list.
February 9th, 2021
Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café, the ultra-popular restaurant brand specializing in sweet and savory crêpes, hot drinks and more, has earned a spot on QSR Magazine’s 2021 40/40 List.
February 4th, 2021
Calling all carnivores! Perkins Restaurant & Bakery has announced the return of the Perkins Butcher Block menu.
January 28th, 2021
Kolache Factory Ranked A Top Franchise In Entrepreneur’s Highly Competitive 42nd Annual Franchise 500
Kolache Factory, a unique national pastry chain based in Katy, Texas, recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500®.
January 20th, 2021
While 2020 was a challenging year, Corner Bakery kept the spirit of giving alive throughout its communities by raising funds for its national charity partner, Habitat for Humanity.
January 12th, 2021
Paris Baguette announced its seasonal winter menu, including new crave worthy and comforting classics to kick off the New Year.
January 7th, 2021
What’s better than free coffee daily? Free Coffee at The Corner* every day for three months, with additional options, such as cold brew or hot tea, available!
January 4th, 2021
Focus Brands® announced newly appointed executive brand management and marketing leadership to oversee the strategic direction of some of its brands and continue to drive brand relevance and market share.
December 18th, 2020
Paris Baguette Celebrates National Ugly Sweater Day With Free Coffee For All Guests Showing Off Festive Tops
Paris Baguette is giving consumers around the country even more reason to wear their favorite ugly sweaters this holiday season.
December 18th, 2020
Focus Brands® announced that Kat Cole, chief operating officer and president, has decided to leave the company.
December 10th, 2020
Paris Baguette announced that franchise development expert Mark Mele is joining its senior executive team as Chief Development Officer
December 4th, 2020
Fa-la-la-la folks! 7-Eleven is packing up the pumpkin spice and kicking off the holiday season with their new Candy Cane Cocoa.
December 3rd, 2020
Corner Bakery guests across the country can now order their favorite flavor-forward, kitchen-crafted fare for pickup or delivery through Google Search and Maps.
December 1st, 2020
Paris Baguette is taking the holiday season by storm with the launch of 11 new festive cakes throughout the month of December.
November 30th, 2020
Great American Cookies® to Offer One FREE Original Chocolate Chip Cookie on National Cookie Day (Dec. 4)
Great American Cookies is inviting customers to end 2020 on a much-needed sweet note with a FREE Original Chocolate Chip Cookie on National Cookie Day (Friday, Dec. 4, 2020) at participating locations.
November 25th, 2020
The northeast Dallas neighborhood is home to the newest 7-Eleven® Evolution Store, only the second in Dallas and the fifth in the country.
November 23rd, 2020
Vegetarians, vegans and anyone looking to cut back on meat have yet another great reason to visit California Tortilla this fall.
November 23rd, 2020
Snack on this: The menu at Los Angeles and San Diego 7-Eleven® stores is getting even hotter with the launch of cheeseburger and buffalo chicken sliders!
November 23rd, 2020
aco 'bout delicious! 7-Eleven, Inc. is expanding its love for tacos with its opening of its very first Laredo Taco Company® restaurant in Florida - the first of more than 15 planned for the state.
November 19th, 2020
As the holidays approach, Cinnabon® knows that moments with loved ones are the frosting of life and deserve to be celebrated.
November 17th, 2020
Corner Bakery is Serving Up ‘Free Coffee at the Corner’ - No Subscriptions or Strings Attached! - Through the End of 2020
Corner Bakery is securing its spot on the nice list this holiday season by gifting its guests FREE coffee!
November 13th, 2020
Crêpes are destined for a comeback as Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café, the ultra-popular restaurant brand founded in Houston, is setting its sights on national expansion.
November 12th, 2020
Known for its handcrafted Bundt Cakes and joy-giving mission, Nothing Bundt Cakes launches its countdown to National Bundt Day, Nov. 15, with a weeklong giveaway on social media.
November 10th, 2020
Corner Bakery is getting ready for the most festive time of the year with the launch of seasonal bundles, bonus cards and menu items.
November 3rd, 2020
Paris Baguette, the global bakery-café chain known for its delightful assortment of cakes, pastries and breads, announces its cemented presence in Canada with its registered Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
November 2nd, 2020
- Expansions & Growth
- Financial & Earnings Claims
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Personnel Changes
- General Announcements
- Conferences & Events
- Product Announcements
- Media Coverage
- Strategic Alliances


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Sep 11 2006 12:00AM
For years, the world of video gaming was ruled by Nintendo, but after the release of the Playstation and later the X-Box, the hardcore gaming community was split into three groups: Playstationites, X-Boxians, and smart people.
With the next generation of video game consoles well into effect, the war for the coveted title of “top dog” has begun. The contestants? Microsoft’s recently released X-Box 360, Sony’s PS3, and the Nintendo Wii.
Microsoft’s brainchild, the 360, offers an impressive CPU, composed of three core processors, which runs at 9.6 GHz as well as an ATI graphics card which runs at 500 MHz. For those who don’t speak nerd, that’s very fast.
As for game play, however, the 360 falls short. Sure, the graphics look nice, and sure, there’s very little load time, but when you have fewer hits than the CD-I then it’s time to start worrying. Don’t get me wrong, “Halo 2” is one of the greatest FPSs I’ve ever played, but I just can’t justify paying $400 for a game that’ll be on PC by next year.
If one more PS fanboy tells me that “the Blu-ray is the future,” I swear I may snap. Mark my words, Blu-ray will be the death of the PS3.
A lack of key components in the Blu-ray hardware has already lead to the PS3’s European release being pushed back to March of 2007, and Sony’s cutback to 500,000 units being shipped worldwide for its November release. However, that’s not the only problem the “future” technology poses.
Because Blu-ray is such a new and expensive technology, game prices will be, to say the least, quite outrageous. “Somewhere between $60 and $100 USD,” said Sony President and CEO Kaz Hirai in a press release, not to mention the $600 price tag for the premium version.
The Nintendo Wii will boast an impressive 512 megabyte internal flash drive and will have over 40 games within six weeks of launch.
The Wii’s new approach to game control, via a remote and toggle peripheral that looks more like a pair of nunchachu than a controller, puts an exciting new twist on gaming. The controller’s Bluetooth technology allows for a more interactive experience.
There is a downside to the Wii’s “uniquness” though. Because the gameplay is so much different than its competetors, third-party game publishers will be less likely to develop Wii versions of games they make for the PS3 and 360. That means there will be few, if any, games playable on all three platforms. But, hey, who buys a Nintendo system to play third-party games anyway? Right?
With the Wii version of “Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” going widescreen and the new “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” in production, there’s really no need for a Wii version of the latest GTA knockoff.
The next generation of gaming will bring many things: fully wireless gameplay, movie quality graphics, and an onslaught of 13-year-olds tossing insults at each other over the Internet. Be warned.


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Exposure Digital has appointed Emily Hartridge, creator of weekly YouTube show 10 Reasons Why, as content and influence manager, which it claims is the first time a UK agency has brought an online influencer in-house.
She joins Exposure as it looks to establish a “best-in-class” model for how agencies, brand and social influencers should collaborate.
Hartridge will collaborate with established names and new talent, from across all social media platforms, to help social media stars produce their best and most innovative work for Exposure Digital clients.
She will help influencers and brands work effectively together, directly collaborating with brands to develop creative ideas as well as sourcing the right influencers for each brand’s needs.
Hartridge will work alongside the agency’s influence and marketing director, Holly Eddleston.
Jonathan Fraser, chief strategy officer at Exposure Digital, said: “Vloggers aren’t just vloggers; they are a new generation of talented artists who are revolutionising the media landscape. It’s important to understand what motivates them if you are to get the best possible collaboration between brand and influencer. From working with a myriad of YouTube stars, we know first-hand the biggest complaint they have when contributing with brands on commercial projects is that brands offer little direction when it comes to creating the best content. We are determined to change this.
“Having worked directly with brands as a vlogger, Emily has first-hand experience of how influencer talent is being squeezed into creative ideas that feel alien to them. This is just the sort of insight our clients need to hear, and which will enable them to work seamlessly with influencers without compromising creative talent.”
Hartridge added: “When brands approach influencers, they ask for the world – constant tweeting and posts around just them. I know that’s not what my audience would want, and that’s the same for other influencers. I was drawn to Exposure Digital because it gets that too.”
Hartridge will continue these and YouTube channel,Emily Hart, alongside her role at Exposure Digital.
Back in 2013, as she started picking up fame for 10 Reasons Why, Hartridge talked exclusively to Gorkana about how PRs and brands could get involved with the show.


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A new model of E-tugs (electric tugboats) to enter the market in bid to be IMO 2030 and 2050 compliant
A new generation of E-tugs (electric tugboats) / battery-powered tugboats will be developed by SeaTech Solutions, and launched by multinational offshore vessel operator Vallianz Holdings in Indonesia. Fundamental specifications include a length of 26m, azimuthing drives-equipped with a bollard pull of 60 tonnes, plus a speed at 12 knots. It will be fitted with high-capacity electric battery modules to provide enough power and capacity for ship assist work.
Clean energy-powered configuration
In conjunction with IMO’s GHG strategy to reduce CO2 emissions at minimum of 40 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2050, SeaTech has developed its “EVT-60” design with a brand-new battery-powered concept. This configuration aims to achieve zero carbon emission. Vallianz Holdings will be marketing the completed electric tug in Batam to prospective shipowners.
Govinder Chopra, the director of SeaTech, said: “Technology for electric vessels is available, and the real challenge is to develop a cost-effective total logistics solution. We target a capex increase of only 20 per cent with lower life cycle costs for this electric tug. The electric tug lends itself to digitalisation and future autonomous operations.”
Electric tugboats are not new in maritime. The world’s first electric tugboat was developed by Turkish company Navtek Naval Technologies last April. Called the ZEETUG, the battery is expected to save 210 tonnes of CO2 emissions and nine tonnes of NOx emissions in a year.


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RALEIGH, North Carolina, January 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — NuVinAir Francewhich offers a suite of proprietary, patented products that safely create healthy vehicle interiors, today announced the expansion of its franchise program to North Carolina. Brad Scottwho comes from Avis Budget Group where he worked for more than two decades, is the company’s newest franchisee, expanding the company’s footprint to include Charlotte, Greensboroand Raleigh Durham.
“For the past 26 years I have dedicated my career to the automotive industry, during which I have discovered some of the most innovative products available,” said Scott, who resides in the great Raleigh Durham region. “Since discovering NuVinAir, I can undeniably say that their products work better than anything I have ever seen. I am very impressed with the company’s focus on improving the customer experience. and streamlining products for its customers.”
As a former director of the Avis Budget Group who has held a dozen positions over the past 24 years, Brad has demonstrated his leadership in the Raleigh Durham International airport location, as well as district manager for the entire state of North Carolina. A Durham a native, he has honed his expertise in process improvement, which he will use to help local airports improve the NuVinAir customer experience, while streamlining the company’s offerings.
Scott holds the exclusive rights to its territories and will implement the science-backed NuVinAir product line and National Account programs throughout the region. His team will support a wide range of transportation business opportunities, including rental car companies, car dealerships, car washes, retail shops, recreational vehicles, truck fleets, mobility companies and other automotive companies.
“Our franchisees are a dynamic force of talent, and Brad’s experience in the rental car industry is going to be an incredible addition to our NuVinAir family,” said Kyle Bailey, CEO and Founder of NuVinAir Global. “Last year, our organization doubled in size and delivered over 400% year-over-year growth. The secret to our success is the team we build through our franchise network .”
Among NuVinAir’s product offerings is its autonomy Cyclone treatment, which dissipates dry, hygienic steam throughout the vehicle’s ventilation system to quickly reduce pollutants and contaminants, while reaching places where wipes and sprays cannot. The company’s latest product, ReKlenz-X, is an EPA-approved, eco-friendly disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria and viruses without compromising a vehicle’s interior or the safety of those who apply it. Completing its product portfolio, ReNuSurface is an eco-friendly and safe all-in-one cleaner that replaces multiple products and saves on supply costs.
Situated at dallas, NuVinAir Global offers a suite of proprietary, patented products that safely and effectively create healthy vehicle interiors. The company offers a “Total Health” product line that uses the science of disinfection and a patented cleaning process to car rental companies, dealerships and other automotive businesses. Products and programs are sold through its franchisees, who hold exclusive rights in their defined territories. To learn more about NuVinAir Global, visit nuvinair.com and follow nuvinair.com/blog/.


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Figures published by the Bank showed that the amount of cash in circulation rose more than expected last month. The most important component of the narrow money measure, M0, it pointed to a strong upward trend in spending.
Separate reports put flesh on the bones of the official statistics. Barclaycard said Christmas Eve spending on plastic by its customers set a record of pounds 1,700 a second. The bank's cash machines dispensed pounds 378m in the week before Christmas, 12 per cent more than the same week in the previous year.
John Lewis, the department store and supermarket group, described sales in the three days before Christmas and the first day of its clearance sale as "outstandingly strong". This followed turnover at a record pounds 60m in its department stores in the week before Christmas.
Share prices rose yesterday, driven by a further surge on Wall Street where analysts returned to work optimistic about US economic prospects. The FTSE 100 index ended 17 points higher at 4,106.5, while the Dow Jones industrial average climbed above 6,600 in morning trading and ended up 23 points at 6,567.
Yet the overwhelming majority of City analysts believe that UK base rates will rise by a quarter point to 6.25 per cent either after next week's monetary meeting or at the following one in early February. The betting in the financial futures market is that rates will be a full point above their present level by the end of June.
"The decision is clear. It is a question of when rather than if it is taken," said Kevin Gardiner at investment bank Morgan Stanley.
Even those economists who reckon the economy is not as overheated as buoyant consumer spending makes it seem agree that the move will take place. "Kenneth Clarke will find himself under heavy pressure to raise base rates in January or February," Jonathan Loynes at HSBC Markets said.
Figures for the number of people claiming unemployment benefit in December, due the same day as the next meeting between Mr Clarke and Eddie George, could provide political cover for a base rate rise if they fall sharply for the second month running. Waiting for the preliminary estimate of GDP growth in the final quarter, due at the end of January, would be the excuse for delay.
Yesterday's statistics showed a 0.9 per cent increase in M0 last month, with the annual growth rate slowing to 7.1 per cent. Notes and coin in circulation rose 0.7 per cent during the month, with their annual growth unchanged at 7.4 per cent. Both have remained above 7 per cent since June.
The narrow money measure is not an accurate guide to month-to-month changes in spending but gives a reasonable guide to retail sales trends.
The figures took the pound briefly above DM2.66 but it closed nearly unchanged at DM2.6369.Reuse content


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Guide to food hygiene in artisan dairies has EC stamp of approval
Artisan cheese and dairy producers across Europe should find it easier to keep their local food safety authorities on side after the European Commission officially endorsed a new guide to good hygiene practices for the sector.
The 98-page guide has been produced by a team of six technical experts, including UK dairy consultant Paul Thomas, with input from dairy producers and other specialists from 15 countries.
It was developed by FACEnetwork, a group of farmhouse and artisan cheese and dairy producers, located as far apart as Norway and Spain, that includes the UK’s own Specialist Cheesemakers Association.
While European regulations make some concessions for smaller producers or those using traditional methods, some artisan businesses have struggled to get their local food authorities to show the same flexibility.
Paul Thomas told FFD there was “a big disconnect” between the EC and enforcement officers on the ground.
However, the European Guide to Good Hygiene Practices For Production of Artisanal Cheese & Dairy Products [http://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/safety/docs/biosafety_fh_guidance_artisanal-cheese-and-dairy-products.pdf] has now been endorsed by the EC and the all EU member states. This makes it an official reference document for the food safety authorities in all 28 countries.
Thomas said the guide reinforced everything in the SCA’s own code of practice for cheesemakers, but also covers dairy products including yoghurt, clotted cream and butter that are not covered in the SCA code.


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SMIC, the leading Chinese chipmaker, aims to play a major role in the hastening semiconductor arms race.
Ningbo-based XR chip firm GravityXR announced on August 12 that it has successively completed angel-round investment and a pre-A round of financing worth several hundred million yuan, within a period of six months.
Chinese chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) on August 11 announced several board changes and its financial report for the second quarter of this year.
At a launch event held on August 10 by Kuaishou's cloud video brand StreamLake, Senior Vice President of Kuaishou and Head of StreamLake Yu Bing said that Kuaishou has developed an intelligent video processing System on Chip (SoC) product called the SL200.
Shanghai-based chip firm Biren Technology held the Biren Explore Summit 2022 on August 9, during which it formally released its first general-purpose GPU chip series: the BR100.
On August 8, Black Sesame Technologies, an autonomous driving computer chip company, announced its completion of round-C+ financing led by SummitView Capital.
Several top lidar enterprises including RoboSense and Hesai Technology have recently invested in Vertilite, a laser chip manufacturer based in China.
Guangzhou-based integrated circuit manufacturer Accusilicon has added Shenzhen Hubble Technology Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership), an affiliated company of Huawei, as a shareholder of the company.
Pimchip Technology, a PIM (Processing in Memory) chip designer, has completed round-A financing of more than $10 million, led by Primavera Venture Partners and followed by some existing shareholders.
Beijing-based digital map enterprise NavInfo signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement on July 27 with automotive industry R&D platform China Automotive Innovation Corporation (CAIC).
Xiaomi's latest top flagship smartphone, the 12S Ultra, was officially released on July 4 this year. On July 28, it was found out that the model is also equipped with a new self-developed chip.
Chinese semiconductor developer YTMicro announced on July 29 that it has secured several hundred million yuan in round-A+ financing.
ByteDance has activated at least four chip projects, including AI chips, server chips, FPGA NIC (intelligent network card in Field Programmable Gate Array or FPGA) and RISC-V.
Yang Zhenyuan, Vice President at ByteDance, said that the company has no general-purpose chip plan and is not involved in businesses such as the manufacturing of CPUs and GPUs.
On July 18, Yinglefei Semiconductor (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. changed its business registration information and added several new shareholders, including Hubei Xiaomi Changjiang Industrial Investment Fund Partnership.


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12 months ago, a number of PR bloggers started a movement: Help a PR Pro Out. Our first event (last Feb.) resulted in more than 250 blog posts...READ MORE
by arikhanson | Jan 7, 2011
Last fall local Minneapolis integrated brand agency, Fast Horse, started its Intern-for-A-Day program. The premise? To give students and recent...READ MORE
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And the flavor of the month is...Gareth Edwards. Deadline Hollywood reports that Lucasfilm owner Disney has signed the “Godzilla” director to direct a standalone, 3D “Star Wars” spin-off film. The mouse has already slated the still-untitled project for a December 16, 2016 release date.
Ironically, the “Star Wars” spin-off’s only competition for that weekend appears to be 20th Century Fox’s “Alvin and the Chipmunks” fourquel. 20th Century Fox released the original “Star Wars” back in the summer of 1977.
Edwards’ star is clearly on the rise. His “Godzilla” reboot scared up $93 million domestically its opening weekend, and has already passed the $216 million mark worldwide. It may put a small crimp in Warner Bros.’ plans for a “Godzilla” reboot sequel, as Edwards’ dance card fills up.


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Chongqing- The two-day China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative Financial Summit 2021 (CCI-FS), on deepening financial cooperation and a new connectivity pattern for China-ASEAN, opened in Chongqing on November 23, with an online summit being held simultaneously in Singapore.
Tang Liangzhi, Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of China Chongqing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Chongqing Municipality welcomed all the guests in attendance and offered his gratitude for their long-term concern and support for the development of Chongqing.
In recent years, Chongqing has promoted deep financial cooperation through the China-Singapore Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI). It has pushed for greater frequency, breadth, and impetus in financial interactions.
CCI-FS has become an important business card for the financial opening up and development in Chongqing and offers an important platform for exchange and cooperation between the financial industries of Western China and ASEAN countries.
Tang Liangzhi noted in his speech, "We sincerely hope that our friends home and abroad will join us to seize opportunities, deepen cooperation, promote the construction of the Western Financial Center, and solidify cooperation between Western China and ASEAN in contribution to our common destiny."
Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs in Singapore, Josephine Teo, joined the conference by live video link and thanked Chongqing for the great effort made in hosting CCI-FS 2021.
During her live address, she commented how establishing the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the effective implementation of RCEP will usher in major opportunities.
'Singapore has worked closely with Chongqing on the pillar of the financial services of the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, in areas such as cross-border financing, trade digitalization, and green financing. I'm glad to see that more financial institutions and companies from both sides are actively tapping into opportunities made available through our cooperation.'
As the level of inter-regional connectivity improves, the International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) has become an effective new channel for trade between Western China and ASEAN, an endeavor to which financial cooperation between Chongqing and Singapore has made an outstanding contribution.
Looking ahead, financial services will continue providing assistance in improving transportation infrastructure along the corridor and will enhance the overall level of digital trade.
Cooperation between China and ASEAN has been full of vitality over the past thirty years. It is hoped this summit will further deepen financial inter-connectivity and further release potential for regional economic growth for all parties.
CCI-FS 2021 has seen a total of 85 projects signed with a contractual value of 101.1 billion yuan, covering areas such as China-Singapore financial cooperation, strategic cooperation in economic and social development under the 14th Five-Year Plan, the fruition of institutions and entities in the financial sector, business model innovation, and cross-border financial services.
The broad scope, practical content, and close integration of industry and finance will vigorously promote economic and financial cooperation between the western regions of China and ASEAN countries.
This two-day summit will feature a series of activities, including sub-forums, annual meetings of expert advisory groups, financial technology festivals, and accomplishment exhibitions focused on stable development, the expansion of two-way openness, and a modern financial system established by ASEAN countries and domestic institutions.
More than 110 important guests from the industry gathered online and offline to exchange ideas, share wisdom, and discuss plans for broader and deeper financial cooperation between China and Singapore.
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Realme V15 5G has received a certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), a tipster has claimed. The Realme phone was a part of the rumour mill for some time and ultimately debuted in China earlier this week. Realme brought the new smartphone with MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC and triple rear cameras. It also comes with a hole-punch display design that is available on a list of Realme phones available in the Indian market. Details about the Indian launch of the Realme V15 5G are yet to be announced officially.
Tipster Mukul Sharma (@stufftings) tweeted an image purportedly showing that Realme V15 5G received the BIS certification with model number RMX3092. This is the same model number that was initially associated with the rumoured Realme 8.
The tipster said that Realme V15 5G is likely to launch in India soon, given that it received the BIS certification. However, the exact launch details are yet to be announced. It is also important to note that companies often get their new devices certified in multiple markets and that doesn't explicitly translate into their imminent launches.
That said, Realme V15 5G debuted in China on Thursday — after a series of leaks and teasers. The phone comes in a unique Koi colour option, alongside the regular Crescent Silver and Mirror Lake Blue versions.
Realme V15 5G carries a price tag of CNY 1,399 (roughly Rs. 15,800) for the 6GB RAM variant and CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs. 26,700) for the 8GB RAM option. It is currently up for pre-orders in China, though its sale in the country is beginning from January 14.
The dual-SIM (Nano) Realme V15 features a 6.4-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,400 pixels) AMOLED display and is powered by the octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC, coupled with up to 8GB of RAM. The phone has a triple rear camera setup that houses a 64-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.8 lens. It also comes with a 16-megapixel selfie camera at the front.
Realme V15 5G comes with a a 4,310mAh battery that supports up to 50W fast charging. The phone comes with 128GB of onboard storage as standard. It weighs 176 grams and comes with an 8.1mm of thickness.
What will be the most exciting tech launch of 2021? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.